Item: Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams
Rating: 8
Author: Justin Wiebe

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are currently using Skype for Business on our CRM team and with certain vendors. We have used it for the past year to really leverage how we work remotely and with our on-campus team. It is a great tool that allows for a lot of collaboration that we would not otherwise be able to do.

Pros and Cons

Manages large numbers of users.
The ability to share screens and collaborate across multiple desktops.
The cost is something that is very affordable.

It's harder to use with some Apple users.
It's not as robust when you only have two users.
You can't always use the presentation mode as easily as you should.

Return on Investment

Positive buy-in from execs.
Great ROI, as it relates to remote workers.
It can be a little stressful for non-tech-savvy users.

Alternatives Considered

Skype, Zoom and GoToMeeting

It's very well suited to compete against the "big players" in the video conferencing world. Even as it relates to "normal" Skype, it does a lot more, and a lot better. It might cost a bit more, but it seems to really work well when we get it going with a larger group for bigger presentations.

Support Rating

The support we have gotten has been great. We've had a few calls for helping Apple users, as they tend not to be as tech-savvy, and the support operators have been top-notch. We have had no other issues as it relates to their support team and working with our staff and faculty.

Key Insights

Do you think Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams's feature set?

Yes

Did Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Advertising Cloud, Salesforce Einstein Analytics (formerly Wave Analytics)

Likelihood to Recommend

From a cost perspective, which we have to account for, it is very good, and I would recommend this to other schools of our size. It would not be as well suited for those only collaborating with a couple of staff/faculty members, as it is a bit over the top for that size. It is very well suited for meetings of 5+ users.

Skype for Business will Help you hit a home run!

Overall Satisfaction with Skype for Business (formerly Lync)